FORLIMPOPOLI – After the efforts of the Giro Next Gen it is time to release the tension and abandon yourself to the emotion. Jarno Widar is the second yellow jersey of the Giro U23 organized by the RCS Sport car. A Belgian in pink, light, agile, fast uphill and with the confidence of a veteran. Yet he is young, very young indeed given that he is born in 2005. For eight days, five of which were spent in pink, Widar did not reveal any particular emotions.
Removed the mask
The Belgian elf presented himself at the press conferences behind the podium with the face of someone who doesn’t want to reveal anything. No expression of fatigue, a few perfunctory phrases and just a couple of well-placed answers. Yet, under the hot sun of Forlimpopoli, Widar succumbed to emotion.
The RCS men hurriedly took him behind the awards stage. He, in prompt response, said no he escaped like a canary from the cage as soon as he saw his teammate and hard-worker Milan Donie. A long hug, a torrential cry to release every self-imposed seal. Lotto Dstny has found the possible man of the future in Widar, next year he will still be in I have to team but There is already talk of a two-year contract for him in the WorldTour starting in 2026. Jarno grows up quickly, still having the face of a boy, but the strong legs of someone who knows how to do this job.
Unexpected success
Behind the awards stage there is the diesse who guided him from the flagship, Wesley Van Speybroeck, professional for six seasons and then moved to the flagship. He too, dazed by the heat and emotion, turns and turns, shaking hands and embracing masseurs and staff.
«We didn’t expect it – he says after we took him to the interview area – we were also together at the Alpes Isère Tour when he won. He had gone fast, but it’s a long way from there to winning the Giro Next Gen. At the time trial in Aosta we told him to just follow his pace, in the end we got a top 10. We moved day by day. He liked the climb at the end of the third stage (Pian della Mussa, ed.). We told him to try and take the shirt and he did, but this wasn’t just Widar’s victory. Everyone was fantastic, without exception. Milan Denie worked a lot in the Fosse stage, when there were only the two of them left in the group. He dictated the pace and Jarno didn’t lose his jersey.”
Hidden qualities
Jarno Widar is in his first year as an under 23 player and has already achieved great results. His performances on the big mountains amazed everyone, not just us.
«The way this winter arrived – says Wesley Van Speybroeck – I didn’t think it could do so well on long climbs. On short climbs or medium-distance climbs, yes, he had already demonstrated it in the past (the double victory at Lunigiana was proof of this, ed.). At Alpes Isère we said to ourselves that he could also do well on the long climbs. The secret is that he worked hard this winter and during training camps. The switch mentally and physically he did it at Coppi e Bartali where he raced with the professionals and learned a lot, a lot.”
Who is Widar?
This victory at the Giro Next Gen has sparked curiosity around Jarno Widar. A success that has not extinguished the questions, on the contrary, it has given rise to new ones. What kind of runner is he?
«When he started working with us – concludes his diesse – he wasn’t an all-around runner. Now he has become a boy who does well on climbs and is suitable for stage races. He had never competed for more than five days, now he has won one in eight. He is perfect for our team and next year he will race even more with the professionals learning a lot. For the future, for Belgium, we hope for a stage racer. It is the first time that a rider from our nation has won the Giro U23.”
